Being a Yellow Dog Democrat in Texas, I had to get all the "Obama 2012" signs together to put them up at our local polling place at our neighborhood precinct early this morning.
Got up around 5:30 am and ate breakfast, quick look at DailyKos, Twitter and MSNBC. Everyone #FiredUp online after hearing President Obama's amazing speech in Des Moines, Iowa. The hashtag #FiredUp went wild after Obama's speech.
Assembled my "Obama 2012" signs and drove off to our local polling place.
Three blocks away and I was there. Political signs were everywhere but you know -- not a single "Romney Ryan" sign anywhere in evidence. There were a mix of local Democratic and Republican candidate signs.
Below the squiggle for more.
I placed my "Obama 2012" signs deep in the ground since someone has been pulling all the "Obama" signs in our community up every night. We put up the Obama signs and then they are gone/vanished by morning. One of our Obama neighbors even put her Obama 2012 on her roof to keep it away from vandals.
After placing the Obama signs, I put on my Obama 2012 hat. An Obama hat is created by placing an Obama/Biden bumper sticker on old hat and there you are - my hat prop for campaigning for Obama in front of our precinct.
How to make a nerdy looking Obama Biden hat for campaigning on election day
I stayed outside the 100 ft marker (where you can not campaign inside the distance marker) just saying "Good Morning" respectively next to our "OBAMA 2012" sign and keeping my distance in my home precinct. Or just nodding my head -- "mornin." Just to encourage the Obama supporters and any wavering Obama voters.
100 foot distance marker where campaigners can not go beyond in Texas on Election Day 2012.
The lines were very short - only 10 to 20 minute wait compared to the huge lines in Florida.
How effective is old-fashioned campaigning outside the polling place? I believe that it is a good use of time early in the morning before you can make GOTV calls or door knocking. Plus I believe other Obama supporters like to see their voting choices validated just before they enter the polling place. Plus it may give some courage for undecideds or waving Obama supporters and help them make that final decision for Obama. Hard to quantify but it was fun anyway! I'll do GOTV phone calling into Florida later in the morning after everyone is awake.
Many Obama supporters said "Thank you for being out here this morning" since our neighborhood trends RED.
Then when people were leaving I would say "Thank you for voting". Everyone was very polite except a few people averted their eyes and frowned. I wonder who they were voting for?
That's me -- standing at the 100 ft distance marker
with my nerdy looking hat photographed by
a friendly Obama supporter who gave me a knuckle-bump.
We live in Texas within the Houston city limits and we hope to turn the City of Houston and Harris County BLUE this year just like we did in 2008 when Obama last ran at the top of ticket.
State-wide, in 2008, the Democrats came within one House seat of capturing the lower house of the Texas State Legislature so can we turn Texas BLUE if we just focus and organize year-round voter registration drive. If Texas turns BLUE, the chances of the Republicans ever winning the Presidency again will be permanently dashed IMHO.
Very nice to be on the front lines at my precinct but I was a little nervous. It's one thing to be talking to voters in Florida over the phone and another to be meeting and greeting them in person.
We are "fired up and ready to go" Deep in the Heart of Texas!
Overall a good experience!
Now back home to start GOTV phone calling into Florida using the Obama for America (OFA) web site Dashboard phone calling tool:
https://call.barackobama.com/